In general, manufacturing operations collect more than enough data to form a basis for the initial stages of transformation. The challenge is that many may not have a clear idea of how to use it or cannot easily access it because it is locked in legacy systems. And simply accessing that data is not enough – organizations must be able to monetize it.

Despite enthusiasm for digital manufacturing, few companies have realized its potential at scale, according to a new survey by McKinsey. While there is significant importance placed on the topic and many pilots have been launched across a range of use cases, less than a third of respondents cite having moved critical use cases—such as digital performance management—into large-scale rollout. At the same time, more than 90 percent of surveyed companies believe that they are either at the forefront of digital manufacturing in their industry or, at least, on par with the competition.

Canadian brewer, Sleeman, teamed up with McRae Integration, a Toronto firm that helps factories automate, and Rockwell Automation, a Milwaukee provider of manufacturing technology, to streamline its production process. The need was compelling: Large brewers like Sleeman have been losing market share to craft brands. To compete, they need to boost productivity and increase yields while developing smaller-batch beers.

Today, Sleeman can control the line through a digital console. The new system also automatically assesses which parts of the plant can continue operating while he has stopped one portion to alter the recipe. “All of these small intuitive processes can add up to a significant reduction of the brew-cycle time,” says McRae president Andrew Bentley, who estimates four to eight hours is saved per day.

Capgemini found that the successful manufacturers have mastered the use of data from smart, connected products to build actionable insights. 93% of digitally successful manufacturers have mastered the ability to use data from smart, connected products to gain insights into how they can improve product designs and manufacturing techniques.